Story from staff reports. Photo from Vocal Motion.

Cary, NC – In the past, we’ve written about Vocal Motion, the choral ensemble at SAS in Cary. Upcoming shows this week offer a chance to visit the SAS Campus, hear this fabulous group for free and double the value of any donation you make at the concert to DonorsChoose.org.

Vocal Motion 20th Anniversary Show

Vocal Motion is an adult show ensemble backed by a 10-piece band called Audio Kudzu. Movement and rhythm are as important as the big, harmonic sound.

This show, entitled Blast fromm the Past, marks the 20th anniversary of the group.

Double Your Donation at the Door

The shows are free, but you can make a donation to DonorsChoose.org at the door.  From Vocal Motion:

Admission to the show is free, but the audience is invited to make a donation to DonorsChoose.org, a national organization that supports educational activities in public schools. Thanks to a matching grant from SAS, donations will be doubled, and they will support Music and Arts projects in Wake, Durham, and Orange counties.

Event Details

Everyone is invited to enjoy this opportunity to visit the SAS Campus and experience this high-energy show. Ample free parking available.

V Building, SAS Campus Drive, Cary, NC
off Harrison Av near I-40.

• Wednesday, Feb. 22, 7 p.m. (dress rehearsal)
• Thursday, Feb. 23, 7 p.m.
• Friday, Feb. 24, 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 25, 2 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 25, 7 p.m.
• Sunday, Feb. 26, at 2 p.m.

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Events coverage on CaryCitizen is sponsored in part by Cary Visual Art.

Cary, NC – According to NurseAdvocacy.org, there are 2.9 million nurses in America. Of that total, only 158,000 are Nurse Practitioners, a masters-level accreditation.

This week, Gale Adcock of Cary, NC will be inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, joining an elite group of 500 top nurses from across the country.

Nurse Gale

Gale Adcock has been a nurse for 36 years, a nurse practioner for 24 of those 36. She hails from Martinsville, Virginia, attended East Carolina University and received her Master’s Degree from UNC Chapel Hill.

She settled in Cary in 1993 to raise a family and be close to her work at SAS.

But if you are picturing Gale with a tongue depressor and thermometer in hand, think again. She is the Director of Corporate Health Services at SAS, in charge of a staff of 55 (including the doctors).

There’s a health care revolution for you right there.

As in so many things, SAS takes it’s own approach to corporate health benefits. Gale and her staff provide primary care at the SAS Health Care Center, where health care services have been provided free to employees and their families since 1984.

The SAS Health Care Center serves 4,300 Cary employees and their families.  SAS figures show that the company saved just over $6M last year in health care costs compared with traditional corporate coverages.

Nurse Practioners

Nurse Practitioners receive extensive training in Masters Degree programs, preparing them to practice at an advanced level. NPs are also nationally certified. The core philosophy of their practice is maximizing health and providing individualized care.

Gale explained, “we go beyond fixing a problem or symptom, we care for the patient, the whole patient by, understanding the context of their condition. We are, after all, nurses.”

Nurse practitioners, like doctors, can prescribe medicines and can be a patient’s primary healthcare provider.

Council Member Gale

In addition to healing the sick and running a department at SAS, Gale serves on Cary Town Council.

“What a terrific opportunity it’s been to serve as the District D representative on the Cary Town Council for the last four years. You just don’t know what you don’t know until you can get ‘behind the scenes’ of a large operation like the Town.

I’ve learned a tremendous amount, made many new friends, and tried my best to make policy decisions that will positively impact Cary for the long-term.”

High Five Gale

If you see Gale in the halls (Town or SAS), offer her a high-five to celebrate her induction as an AANP Fellow. Add Healthcare Rock Star to her long list of career accomplishments.

OMG – These Guys Can Sing

The “3 Tenors” genre was invented by Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo and José Carreras – classical voices singing popular music. The Canadian Tenors continue the tradition. Their singing is achingly beautiful. Give a listen to their performance of “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen.

About the Canadian Tenors

The Canadian Tenors currently have a special airing on PBS. They are coming off of a whirlwind holiday season – with 16 concerts (all sold out) in almost as many cities.

The Tenors’ (Victor Micallef, Clifton Murray, Remigio Pereira, Fraser Walters) music is blend of classical and contemporary pop. They have performed at the Tel Aviv Opera house, Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Coliseum and NYC’s Madison Square Gardens. They’ve played Toronto’s Air Canada Centre where they headlined at ONE NIGHT LIVE with Sting and Sheryl Crow, and in Sarah McLachlan’s Summer Sessions concert with Neil Young and in London with the legendary Paul McCartney at the Old Vic theatre.

The Tenors have performed for President Barack Obama and all of the leaders at the G20 summit in Toronto as well as President Bill Clinton, Prime Minister Tony Blair, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, President George W Bush and President Shimon Peres.

The Canadian Tenors have given their talents to charity as well. Recently, they filmed a documentary in Africa, singing with local children in Bulembu, Swaziland, a town growing out of horrible suffering, to help bring awareness to their plight.

Details

February 9th, 2011
7:30 pm
Doors Open at 6:45 pm

Tickets must be purchased through Cary Academy.

General Admission Ticket Price: $50
On-line $55.00, purchase tickets at www.caryacademy.org

VocalMotion's new show theme is based on the music of the 60's (from the poster)

Cary,NC – Where were you in the ‘60s? VocalMotion’s 19th show will recapture the era beginning with a show Feb 24th.

The era changed what we knew as pop music and FM radio came to prominence – often playing entire album sides of psychedelic rock and roll. VocalMotion, the all-volunteer show choir sponsored by SAS, re-creates that magical era with their show entitled: “Peace Love Music”.

Giving Back Through Music

Each year, VocalMotion supports a charitable or nonprofit organization via donations collected at its annual performances. Last season, the group raised over $12,000 for The Arc of Wake County.

VocalMotion announced that performances for the 2011 season will benefit Triangle Flight of Honor, an all-volunteer organization that flies Triangle veterans to Washington, DC, to tour the World War II memorials constructed in honor of their service. The flight, tour and meals are provided at no cost to the veterans. As our nation’s World War II heroes get older, time to honor them is running out.

Sunny Johnson, Flight Director for Triangle Flight of Honor, said,“Through your support of VocalMotion’s shows, you can have a part in changing lives – giving veterans, in the twilight of their lives, the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be honored for their courage, valor and sacrifice. You will be giving their families a memory that will be passed down for years … because it is never too late to say thank you.”

About VocalMotion

VocalMotion is an all-volunteer show choir sponsored by SAS in Cary. Formed in 1992, the group’s members are employees, spouses, and friends with a love for music and a dedication to bringing quality entertainment to one and all.

VocalMotion has become an ambassador for SAS, performing throughout the community at retirement centers, community functions, and charity events, as well as at company-sponsored events.

Each year, the group performs a Broadway-style musical revue on the SAS campus, raising thousands of dollars for its designated charity. Because of the groups’ sponsorship by SAS, 100% of all proceeds are donated to their designated charities.

Triangle Flight of Honor- Helping the Greatest Generation

On May 29, 2004, the World War II Memorial was dedicated to honor The Greatest Generation. Regrettably, today, very few of these elderly veterans have the funds, knowledge, or strength to complete a trip to Washington, DC. Our country’s Greatest Generation veterans are dying at a rate of 1,200 a day.

That’s why a community-wide project called the Triangle Flight of Honor was created. To date, the organization has flown 200 Triangle-area World War II veterans to Washington.

But an additional 350 applications are waiting. The veterans do not pay for this activity – it is absolutely free.

Triangle Flight of Honor’s mission is to raise enough money to launch sufficient flights to Washington until all World War II veterans have had the opportunity to visit the memorials. They currently have three flights scheduled this spring with more anticipated in the fall due to the overwhelming response.

Event Info

• Dates: Thursday and Friday, Feb. 24 and 25, at 7 p.m
• Saturday, Feb. 26, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
• Sunday, Feb. 27, at 2 p.m
• Where: on SAS campus in the Building V auditorium

SAS is located in Cary on Harrison Avenue near the I-40 interchange.

For directions or more information about VocalMotion, visit www.vocalmotion.org or call 677-8000, ext. 43236

VocalMotion performs a mix of dance and song - photo from 2010 program

Story from staff reports. Photo by Hal Goodtree.

Cary, N.C. – It’s said that all politics is local. Maybe the same is true for business. Here in Cary, the business news is very good indeed, and it’s coming from SAS.

Revenue Up 5.2% Over 2009

In 2010, SAS hit a record for global revenue at US$2.43 billion, up 5.2 percent over 2009 results. In the business analytics category, revenue surged 26 percent.

SAS CEO Jim Goodnight attributed growth to the recognition that the current explosion of data can be analyzed to provide insights never before possible.

“Analytics is used in virtually every industry and branch of government,” Goodnight said. “The predictive power of analytics can make a difference by helping you see further into the distance so you can make adjustments faster and with more confidence. We’ve experienced 35 years of unbroken revenue growth and high customer loyalty because our customers get value from our software and trust the results.”

Fortune List

Also of note, SAS was again ranked No.1 on FORTUNE magazine’s annual 100 Best Companies to Work For list. SAS was listed as one of the best for health care, child care and work-life balance. Since the list was established in 1998, SAS has been on it every year, with this year marking the eighth time SAS has been in the top 10.

SAS CEO Jim Goodnight said, “This high honor rounds out a tremendous year for us at SAS. We delivered more software in 2010 than ever before in our history and grew our work force by 2.4 percent. Our employees are the lifeline of our success. As we enter our 36^th year of business, we look forward to continuing our deep investment in employee satisfaction, wellness and creativity.”

Read the whole story: FORTUNE.com/bestcompanies.

Cary, NC – For America to maintain a top quality workforce in the coming decades, science, technology and math education needs to be a priority.

Toward that end, 100 top U.S. CEOs have banded together to form ChangeTheEquation.org. In their own words, “Change the Equation aligns corporate efforts in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education to ensure that they add up to real, measurable growth in the achievement and STEM fluency of our nation’s young people.”

Part of the challenge is make those subjects attractive to the current generation of students. In the parlance of our children, growing up to be a scientist, mathematician or engineer has to be a “cool” career choice.

Change the Equation challenged its member companies to produce brief videos featuring an employee or group of employees who use math or science in exciting or unexpected ways. Many companies answered the call.

SAS won.

Congratulations to a Cary company and a flagship of the technology industry. Show this video to your kids.

Yes, Virginia, it’s cool to be a scientist, mathematician or engineer. In fact, it rocks.

You can also see this video on YouTube.
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SPONSOR

Education coverage sponsored by Goodtree & Co, Inc.

SAS Campus, Cary, NC – The big atrium in Building R was abuzz with excitement at 9:45 this morning. Governor Perdue and Dr. James Goodnight we’re on hand to announce a new SAS initiative that would add 100 jobs over the next two years to the Cary technology giant.

Stats for Government

Officially, it’s called The SAS Analytics Lab for State and Local Government. Software sits on top of many different data streams and unites them into one coherent picture. Different branches of government can share information – across departments, between towns, wherever necessary.

In the past, this has not been the case. “A man could be released from jail in one county and wanted for arrest in the next one over,” Dr. Goodnight told me. The expansion of the Analytics Lab for State and Local Government addresses an issue that has long vexed public institutions.

Governor Issues High Praise for Cary Company

In her remarks, Governor Perdue said that the SAS Analytics Lab had helped the state detect Medicare and Medicaid fraud, collect back taxes and enable law enforcement.

She also singled out SAS for developing the program without asking for state aid – no tax incentives, no threats to move out of state if they didn’t receive inducements. “They didn’t ask for a flat dime,” Perdue said.

Spring Coming to North Carolina?

The 100 new jobs will be concentrated in Cary, with additional personnel deployed where new projects are announced. The majority of jobs will be doctoral-level experts in technology solutions to fraud, waste, tax collection, safety and education.

Governor Perdue mentioned that today was the shortest day of the year. She suggested that the dark winter of the American economy might just be seeing a sign of spring in Cary, North Carolina.

Dr. Goodnight – Best Thing About Cary

After the announcement, I had a few minutes to chat with Dr. Goodnight, the founder of SAS. I asked him about the Governor’s comment concerning incentives – what did he especially like about Cary? “I like how they have maintained growth,” Dr. Goodnight said.

He hesitated a moment, then admitted “I like the sign ordinance.”  I told him my wife serves on the sign ordinance committee and we shared a laugh.

My Impressions – The Best Thing About SAS

Driving through the campus this morning, I was once again impressed by the energy and excitement that just seems to be in the air at SAS. Cars are scrambling for parking spots, people are hurrying to places with a purpose, TV news trucks are testing their up-links while sheep munch on grass at the solar farm. SAS excudes vibrance.

Maybe the Governor was right. Maybe the first sign of spring came to Cary, NC on the shortest day of the year.

Story by Hal Goodtree. Photos courtesy of SAS. Above: Dr. Jim Goodnight.

Cary, NC – Earlier this month, SAS hosted a diplomatic mission to North Carolina focused on clean energy, green innovation and smart grid technologies.

Science diplomats from 15 foreign embassies, charged with advising their nations on developments in the U.S., visited Cary to learn from industry, research and government leaders about North Carolina’s burgeoning energy economy.

Hosted by Diplomacy Matters Institute in partnership with the Science Diplomats’ Club in Washington, the program aimed to educate foreign government officials on North Carolina’s growing clusters of green innovation, while stimulating discussion on best practices and international partnerships.

Green Tech in the Triangle

Diplomats came to our area because it is in the forefront of green technology and science. The program included:

• Scientists from RTI
• Cisco on Greener IT
• Advances in Biomass
• Smart Grid Technology

The mission also visited green tech facilities in the area and met state officials including a luncheon at the Governor’s mansion.

Saving Money

From previous stories, you already know that SAS is a leader in green business. But there’s a lot more to it than their two state-of-the-art solar farms on the Cary campus.

The diplomats learned about programs from SAS that measure the statistical side of resource management. “We figured out environmental data,” said Alyssa Farrell, Global Industry Marketing, Sustainability, SAS. Their suite of software is called Sustainability Management.

For example, a municipality might want to reduce costs by using resources more efficiently. The SAS software gathers information on things like water usage, electricity costs and fleet management. Managers can model changes, like LED lighting or bio-diesel, to predict actual savings. SAS is supporting this type of initiative for The Hague.

“It’s really decision support,” said Alyssa, “reducing costs but growing the bottom line.” She pointed out that even very large organizations, including the US Army, are seeking to measure and manage environmental indicators. The US Army has determined baseline energy use for soldier housing. If they go over the baseline, the soldier has to pay the utilities.  If they conserve and use less than the baseline, they get money back.  Measuring building energy use is becoming much more common. A SAS building in Toronto uses 62 percent less energy per square meter than the typical Ontario office building.

Making Money

Science diplomats also heard about green business as a rapidly growing sector of the North Carolina economy. Alyssa mentioned GE’s cross-company business initiative called “ecomagination”, which started as a research project but has turned into a revenue producer – surpassing $18B in 2009 and expected to grow at twice the rate of total company revenue for the next 5 years.  She thinks that many companies in the triangle are poised for similar growth with the right investments in technology and the partnerships to bring it to market.

Right here in our area, we’ve reported on Southern-Energy Management and Yes Solar Solutions, both producing solar energy installations for private and commercial customers.

The Future of Green Business

I asked Alyssa about the future of green business.

“In the near future, green will be inseparable from business,” she said.

That’s a message that translates into any language.

Alyssa Farrell of SAS Global Industry Marketing, Sustainability

Story and photos by Leslie Huffman

Cary, NC – Everyone in town knows at least one person who works for SAS Institute here in Cary. The company has won many awards for it’s innovative technology and family friendly work environment.

But SAS Institute is also changing the environment with the production of clean, renewable energy for our community. I was invited this week for a tour.

Solar Farm 2 is situated on the Cary campus next to the original SAS solar farm system, completed in December 2008.

The new facility is made up of 5,236 ground-mounted photovoltaic panels covering around 7 acres. It incorporates a Ray Tracker tracking system, designed by groSolar, that rotates the panels as the sun moves in the sky. This movement increases energy capture by up to 25 percent over the fixed panel systems and also reduces the acreage needed for construction.

Photovoltaic (PV) solar systems convert sunlight directly to electricity. They work any time the sun is shining, but more electricity is produced when the sunlight is more intense and strikes the panels directly. PV allows the production of electricity without noise or air pollution, from a clean and renewable resource. Solar Farm 2 was installed by FLS Energy, Inc.

SAS builds this solar farm, what does it mean for us?

All of the power generated from the SAS Solar Farms is sold back to Progress Energy, providing power to the local utility grid – 1.9 million kilowatts per year from Solar 2 to be exact. Add that to the 1.7 million kilowatts generated by Solar Farm 1 and you have 3.6 million kilowatts per year coming from both systems.

That means that 3,500 tons a year of carbon dioxide emissions are removed from the air. It is the energy equivalent of 367,000 gallons of gasoline. It’s enough power to run 325 homes for a year.

Economic Impact

The impact on our local economy has been beneficial as well. During the planning, construction and operation of the solar farms local electricians, engineers, mechanical contractors and supervisors have been employed.

Jerry Williams, SAS Sustainability Program Manager

Business Green

Jerry Williams, SAS Sustainability Program Manager, was on-site taking me on this informative tour. The SAS environmental sustainability program has been adding and expanding initiatives for the last several years. In addition to the solar farms, the Cary campus also has solar thermal hot water systems, regenerative drive elevators, water and waste conservation projects and LEED certified office buildings.

“The solar farm is a smart decision for SAS and for the community,” said Williams. “Projects like our solar farm demonstrate a fundamental shift in the value placed on energy efficiency, intelligent power sourcing and end-user consumption.”

“The development and implementation of alternative sources of energy is important for our environment, a stimulus for our economy and a step in the right direction to achieving energy independence.”

With one of the largest solar farms in the southeast, SAS is leading the way for other large companies to follow suit. With tax incentives and the ability to generate income a solar farm venture is a smart move toward a cleaner future.

Jerry Williams tells me that SAS should earn back it’s investment in approximately 10 years or less.

What About The Eight Sheep?

So why is this facility called a farm anyway? Solar Farm 1 is built on 5 acres and Solar Farm 2 on 7 acres of farmland. The Solar Farms are farming power from the sun.

And then there is the sheep.

Home to 8 sheep, the 12 acres are professionally manicured by the ewe. Grass is grown between all the panels which keeps dust to a minimum. Instead of using gasoline powered, noisy lawn mowers weaving in and out of expensive solar panels, this sustainable farm uses the natural ability of the sheep.

They keep the grass and weeds low and provide their own fertilizer to ensure healthy, continual growth.

I must say that the sight of the sheep wondering around the solar farm seemed like a visual contradiction.

But, sustainability is just that. A mixture of old ways and new, simplicity and technology.

L–>R  Jeff Kleiber, Dr. Jim Goodnight and Russ Cochran at Prestonwood.
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Story by Mark Ratcliff. Photos by Tom Mousseau and Suzie Wolf.

Cary, NC - Russ Cochran took home the SAS Championship trophy on Sunday afternoon after leading the tournament wire-to-wire.  His 14-under (64-67-71=202) score for the week edged 2009 SAS winner Tom Pernice, Jr. by 2 shots.

John Cook finished alone in 3rd place at 10-under, and a host of other players headlined by Bernhard Langer and Mark Calcavecchia finished at 9-under.

The win was Cochran’s second consecutive victory on the Champions Tour.

A Unique Experience for Professional Golf Fans

I’m a golf junky. There, I said it.

I was raised in Pinehurst. I have been to countless professional golf tournaments ranging from PGA Tour stops like the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro to majors such as the Masters and the U.S. Open.

While these tournaments were compelling and exciting, none of them were nearly as enjoyable as the SAS Championship, which I attended for the first time this past weekend. How is that possible you might ask?

Well, let me share with you one of my experiences.  On Saturday morning I decided to follow the threesome of Denis Watson, Steve Thomas, and the sweet-swinging ever-popular Fred Couples.  After watching them putt on the 1st green, I turned and started walking to the 2nd tee.

Halfway there I felt a hand touch my right shoulder.  “Excuse me, buddy,” a voice said.  I turn to my right and there was my all-time favorite golfer, Freddie Couples.

Needless to say, I was speechless.  “Having a good time?” he asked.  “You bet!  Go get ‘em, Freddie!” I responded.  With a smile, he winked and made his way to the next tee probably not realizing that he had made my week!

This close interaction with Hall-of-Famers and legends of golf is what sets the SAS Championship and the Champions Tour apart from the tightly patrolled PGA Tour.  Have you ever tried to get an autograph from Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, or Vijay Singh?  It’s impossible.  Yet, at the SAS Championship heroes like Lee Trevino, Nick Price, and Ben Crenshaw will come under the ropes to visit with their adoring fans.

Simply put, the SAS Championship is golf at its finest for the professional and the fan.

I was impressed, and I will return next year to watch my heroes walk among the pines at Prestonwood. The scenery reminded me of Pinehurst. The venue was like no other. And it’s here in Cary.

More Photos

Both Suzie Wolf and Tom Mousseau brought their own unique photographic perspectives to the tournament. See their coverage:

• Pro-Am Slideshow – Tom Mousseau
• SAS Champions Tour Final – Tom Mousseau
• 2010 SAS Championship Coverage – Suzie Wolf

The news on CaryCitizen is sponsored by FrantzForHouse.org